Smith was injured in the 49ers Week 15 win over the New England Patriots. He missed the final two games of the regular season and got an extra week to rest with the 49ers earning a first-round bye. Smith played in all three postseason games for San Francisco and was credited with 12 tackles.

Smith's effectiveness was noticeably affected due to the injury and it impacted the 49ers defense as a whole. Linebacker Aldon Smith had 19.5 sacks in 14 games during the regular season playing with Justin Smith. In five games after the injury to Justin Smith, Smith was held without a sack and the 49ers allowed 28.8 points per game defensively over that span.

Per Maiocco, Smith is expected to be back to full strength in time for training camp next season.